Keep Readers Close to Action and Emotion

If readers aren’t engaged by your story, maybe you’re holding them at a distance, using filtering phrases that keep them a step away from the action and emotion of a scene. Check out these common filtering phrases that keep readers at a distance.

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The major characters in your fiction need goals to see them through the story you’ve dropped them into. Make sure you’ve given them goals sufficient for the adventure.

Continue reading Characters Need Goals »

Are your characters and plot so predictable that even you are bored? Add surprises to make stories fresh and characters engaging.

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Chapter endings have at least two purposes—to look back at what’s already happened and look forward to what might happen. Both characters and readers benefit from the dual purposes of chapter endings.

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Backstory can bring depth to characters and their motivations. It can reveal reasons for the status quo at a story’s opening. But it could overwhelm current story events, if you don’t keep it in its place.

Continue reading When To Bring Backstory Out of the Shadows »

Some writers have been discouraged from including faith, religion, and beliefs in their fiction. But every subject is open for exploration by writers. And religion can introduce emotion and other elements in a way that other story elements can’t.

Continue reading Do Religion and Faith Belong in Fiction? »

Speech and thought patterns should differ from character to character. Learn tips for differentiating character voices.

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Who says you can’t use incomplete sentences in fiction? If you were taught that “rule” in school, take your liberty and write in sentence fragments if you want to. Keep in mind, however, than not all incomplete sentences work.

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Does grammar matter? If so, to what degree? Is it more important to be grammatically correct or to write the way people speak today? An exploration of prescriptive and descriptive language and grammar in fiction.

Continue reading Rules vs. Practice—Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammar »

Tips for writing character thought and inner dialogue. There are options for punctuation and method.

Continue reading Inner Dialogue—Writing Character Thoughts »